IU KOKOMO COUGARS JOIN KENTUCKY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

KOKOMO, Ind.- Indiana University Kokomo has been accepted to the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year. All Cougar athletic teams immediately will be eligible for conference championships, as well as automatic bids to the NAIA Championships.

“The campus is honored to join the KIAC,” said Interim Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke. “It complements our entry into the NAIA and it was the next step in our campus plan to create a competitive athletic program. I know our athletes will excel and compete in this new arena.”

The KIAC is an NAIA conference, founded in 1916. With the addition of IU Kokomo, the league’s membership increases to 12 institutions this fall. The Cougars will be joining Alice Lloyd College (Pippa Passes, Ky.), Ashbury University (Wilmore, Ky.), Berea College (Berea, Ky.), Brescia University (Owensboro, Ky.), Carlow University (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Cincinnati Christian University (Cincinnati, Ohio), IU East (Richmond, Ind.), IU Southeast (New Albany, Ind.), Midway College (Midway, Ky.), Point Park University (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and St. Louis College of Pharmacy (St. Louis, Mo.).

“The KIAC is a great fit for us considering the quality of the member schools and the stability of the conference,” said Todd Gambill, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management. “We are excited about the platform that the NAIA and the KIAC provides for us to showcase our institution and our students. We look forward to developing partnerships and rivalries with our member schools.”

“By joining the KIAC, now we will have an opportunity to compare ourselves to conference competition at the end of the season when we are in peak shape,” said Jason VanAlstine, head men’s and women’s cross country coach. “It will be very exciting next year with many new faces, new facilities, and a new conference.”

IU Kokomo makes the move to the KIAC after having been a member of the Association of Independent Institutions for the 2012-2013 season. Visit www.kiacsports.com for more information.

Welcome to the Sweet 16, Sister Jean. Loyola-Chicago's Cinderella story is just one delightful development in this year's field. Half the 1-seeds are gone, and there's no telling who has the upper hand to reach the Final Four.